Web-printing press



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No. 567,776. Patented Sept. 15, 1896.

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B. H. WILOOMB. WEB PRINTING PRESS.

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WEB PRINTING PRESS.

Patented Sept. 15, 1896.

lJNlTE STATES EDGAR IIARLAN VVILCOMB, OF \VORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

WEB-PRINTING PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0.567,776, dated September15, 1896. Application filed Tanuary 23. 1895. Serial No. 535,914. (llomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, EDGAR I'IARLAN WIL- COMB, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Vv orcester, in the county of \Vorcester and Stateof Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in\Veb-Printing Presses, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The present invention is an improvement in web-printin g presses, andrelatesespecially to flat-form cylinder web-printing presses wherein theprinting is effected on a continuous web previous to severance thereofinto sheets,and the present press is a combined type-bed andcylinder-press of simple and economical construction,capable of beingrun at a high rate of speed and which can be employed to print one sideof theweb or sheet or as a perfecting-press, wherein it is advisable toprint both sides of the web at one operation, and wherein the registerof the impressions on opposite sides of the web can be quickly andaoeuratelyeffected without any necessary alteration or adjustment of theimpression-cylinder or type-bed or forms, and these are the main objectsof the invention.

Other objects are to enable the press to print both ways, or at eachmovement of the typebed or impression-cylinder back and forth, and toavoid the use of tapes for directing the web and supporting the sameduring its progress through the press.

Before enterin upon a detailed description of the press it is deemedproper to state that it has been found impracticable to build flatformcylinder-presses with a typebed larger than is necessary for four pagesof a largesized newspaper, and this is especially true in regard topresses having traveling or reciprocating beds, such as hereindescribed, on account of the great weight of the bed and forms of typethereon and the consequent slowness of operation. Besides, in medium orsmall offices, where such presses are generally employed fornewspaper-work, it is seldom convenient to have more than four pages ofthe larger size in readiness to print at one time. At the same timesuohoffices desire to issue papers having either six or eight of suchpages, in which case they would prefer, even with the best ofpress-facilities, to print one side of the sheet at a time. The majorityof such offices issuea four page daily paper and an eight-page weekly,the latter being made up principally from the daily. Hence in thepresent description I have confined myself to a press capable ofperfecting (printing both sides at one operation) a four-page paper andprinting one side at a time of a six or eight page paper, and myinvention is so simple in construction as to enable the changes to bemade from one size to another with little or no change of any of themechanism. It is also so simple that ordinary cylinder-pre-ssmen shouldbe ableto run it.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved webprinting press. Fig. 2represents in detail a side elevation. Fig. 2 is a diagram of theweb-reels. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the dotted line a;as, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of the travelinggears, frame, and racks on the dotted line 1 3 Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is aperspective View of the two web-reels and oscillating beams and rollers,showing their positions in relation to each other. Fig. 6 is aperspective view of the convex ribsurfaced attachment,which is adistinctive feature of the webreels. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of theoscillatin g beam and roller web-loopingattach ment, showing partialmeans of operating the same. Fig. 8 is a detail face view of the camdevices for operating the foregoing web-looping attachment. Fig. 8 is adetail view of the means for operating the web-reels. Fig. 9 is a top orplan view of the web conveying, turning, and reversing rollers, showingtheir position in relation to each other and the course of the web overand around the same while printing both sides or perfecting the same atone operation, parts of the web being cut away and the top feed-roll 2being removed. Fig. 10 is a top plan view of the same rollers and thecourse of the web over and around the same when the web is run fullwidth, being slit or divided longitudinally and the two sections broughttogether and pasted, forming, in this case, an eight-page paper, oneside having previously been printed, as will be hereinafter described,part of the web be ing cut away. Fig. 11 is a side elevation of the newand improved mechanism for regulating the feed of the web, and which isalso shown in two other positions in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 12 is a sideelevation of a modified form of the foregoing mechanism, wherein gearsare employed instead of the cone and trucks hereinafter described.

Referring to the drawings by letters thereon, A A designate the framesof the press, which consist of two sides supported and braced by astandard a, extending across between the two side frames below theposition of the impression-cylinderand supportingthe movable bed A atthe point of impression, being provided with bearing-rollers b incontact with the under surface of the bed. Additional bearing-rollers co c are attached to each side frame. The bed carries extensions d d oneach side, which rest upon the rollers c c c and bear against guides e6, attached to the side frames and which serve to guide the bed. Theseextensions (1 d carry racks attached to their lower sides. as shown atff, and the racks are in mesh with traveling gearwheels g g,which alsointerm esh with racks h h, attached to the inner side of each sideframe. On the side of each of these racks is a bearer t' 2', upon whichwheels g g rest by means of a corresponding bearing-surface. A shaft Bpasses through these gear-wheels, to each end of which one end of pitmenA" are attached, the opposite end of the pitmen being attached to largecrank-wheels B B, one of which is a gear and intermeshes with and isdriven by gear C on shaft D, to which power to drive the entire machineis attached.

E is a hand-wheel on shaft D.

Shaft F, connecting the two large crankwheels B B, extends through thehollow crossstandard a.

Shaft D has an outer bearing. (Not shown.)

The necessary reciprocatory movement of the type-bed is secured by meansof the mechanism just described. The upper surface of the type-bed hasordinary bearers jj and a gear-rack 7a, which intermeshes with andoperates the impression-cylinder G, giving it the necessary oscillatingmovement.

Inking-rollers Z l I and fountains m m are parts of a double set ofordinary inking apparatus situated one set each side of thei1npression-cylinder.

All the parts described thus far are of ordinary construction, withslight variation of form to meet the requirements.

The impression-cylinder is made vertically movable in journal-bearings nn in the ordi nary manner. A shaft 0 extends through theimpression-cylinder and journal-bearings an, upon which shaft are drums13 outside the frame.

H H are two oscillating web-reels connected with each other and withdrums p by means of bands q q, extending the required distance arounddrums r r and 19. These drums p and r r are of the proper size andconformation to operate the webreels, as hereinafter described. Thebands may be of spring-steel or any other suitable material and arecalculated to be kept perfectly taut at all times. The web-reels may beattached and operated by means of cranks, gears, or any other means notdescribed, but I prefer to employ the bands for the reasons that, ifused properly, they prevent any looseness or backlash, and the operationof the reels may be made adjustable to conform to the requirements ofthe cylinder by increasing or diminishing the size of drums 19. As willsometimes occur, a variation in the thickness of the packing or tympanon the surface of theimpression-cylinderwillincrease or diminish thesize of the cylinder to a very slight extent, which may be remedied bypasting on or taking off a strip or more of paper on the face of drums punder the bands. An improved attachment to the web-reels referred toconsists of the convex or oval-surfaced disk or shield describedelsewhere, and which is designated as I I I. Modifications in connectionwith these reels consist of using straight stationary bars in place ofrollers. Pivoted in the frame of the press, between and slightly abovethe web-reels just referred to is the oscillating double beam andweblooper arrangement previously referred to herein, and which isdesignated as K K, the operation of which, together with the reels, willbe more fully described. Returning to shaft D, a smaller shaft L isshown, extending at rightangles lengthwise of the press. This smallershaft is driven by means of bevel-gears (not shown) from shaft D anddrives the entire web feeding and delivery apparatus, in this case bymeans of a belt M, extending to the improved adjustable speedarrangeinent,though another shaft and bevelgears could be employed inplace of the belt.

The adjustable speed arrangement is a new and improved device forregulating the speed of the web independently of the press proper, andis described as follows: a cone a upon shaft 1), the cone having a slot0 on its inner surface, which engages with a pin or spline on the shaft,compelling the cone to turn with the shaft, but enablingit to slidelengthwise of the shaft, and two bearing trucks or rollers d d ofsuitable material, rubber-covered or otherwise, sitnated one on eachside of the cone and bearing upon its inclined surfaces, these rollershaving bearings in the upper ends of two pivoted arms 6 e, which hingeupon each other shear-like, and by means of a thumbscrew f or itsequivalent at the lower end, these two arms being made to compress thetwo rollers upon the surface of the cone and adjust said rollers to thevarying size of the cone, the two rollers being driven by gears g g g,the two upper gears intermeshing with the lower one, the latter having afixed position on shaft h, which. shaft serves to support and act as thecentral pivot for the two arms 6 e, shaft It being the drive-shaft andderiving power, in this instance, from the belt M by means of a pulleyThe adjustably-speeded cone is made adjustable by means of thehand-screw at and slide as, a

projection on the end of the cone fitting into a notch in the lower partof slide as, as shown, and through the cone power is transmitted to theentire web driving and delivery mechanism through shaft j, which is acontinuation of shaft 1), to the bevel-gears 7t 7t and gears Z Z, theselatter gears driving the feed and delivery rolls 2, 3, and 1.

My idea ,embraces a modified form of the adjustable feed arrangement tobe employed where a more positive means of operation is desired. In thiscase a set of different-sized gears, say a difference of one tooth ineach gear, is employed in place of the cone, the gears being fastenedtogether and forming, virtually, a cone of gears, or the whole may bemade in one piece and this cone made adj ustable on shaft b, as beforedescribed; also a gear in place of the front truck d, the rear truck andits accompanying mechanism being dispensed with, gear d Fig. 12, beingfirmly held in place by means of the thumb-screw f or its equivalent atthe lower end of arm 6". In this case, however, the thumb-screw wouldpress against the surface of the framework of the mechanism, forcingoutward the lower end of the arm 6.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the feed and deliveryrolls consist of three arranged one above the other, the lower one beingdriven by the gears Z Z and accompanying mechanism and the middle oneresting upon this one and the upper one upon the center one. Rollers 5 67 Sare web-guide rollers which have an intermittent movement, as will behereinafter described. Rollers 1 9 10 11 are continuous-moving webguiderollers. Rollers 12 13 14 are anglerollers employed for the purpose ofturning and reversing the web, as required and as hereinafter more fullydescribed. Rollers 15 16 are continuously-moving final-delivery rollers,driven by the shaft j, and between which two rollers the web passes inits perfected state to be afterward severed crosswise into sheets anddelivered to fly or folder in any ordinary or improved manner notnecessary to be shown. Hand-wheel N on shaft of lower roller 4 isemployed to turn the web-driving apparatus by hand independently of therest of the machine, to accomplish which purpose a ratchet-wheel q isattached fast to its shaft, and the accompanying pawl 7" is attached tothe upper gearwheel Z, the latter wheel being loose upon its shaft.Between the feed and delivery rollers 2 3 4 and the angle-rollers 12 1314 is situated a two-roller type of web-reel O, the purpose of which inthis case is, by proper adjustment, to make one section of the webregister with the other in the act of perfecting and bringing togetherthe two sections. Roll P is an auxiliary webroll, the purpose of which,in certain cases, will be more fully described herein.

In the foregoing description I have referred ity of the press, the fourforms being arranged side by side, crosswise of the press, on bed A. Thesupply-roll of paper is shown at R, which in this case is one-half of afull width, placed at the rear side of the press, from which the webpasses over guide-roller l on the course marked to thecontinuouslymoving feed-rolls 2 3, which serve to draw the web along andsupply it as required, thence over the outer guide-roller 9 at the leftof the drawings, down under the outer roll 17 of the oscillating looper,up over roll 7, down through reel H, and under the impression-cylinder,where one side is printed, thence up through reel 11, between rolls 5 6,down under roll 18 of the oscillating looper, and up between rolls 3 4,which, coacting with each other and with the upper roller 2, serve tofeed and deliver-the paper at the same uniform speed. Thence the webpasses under guide-roller 10, Fig. 1, and under angle-roller 12. To thispoint the web has run continuously on the rear side of the press, whenit now passes up over angle-roller 14, which serves to reverse and turnthe web, Fig. 9, and to transfer it to the opposite or front side of thepress, whence, with its unprinted surface uppermost, it again passesover the same course as before, between feedrollers 2 3, over roll 9,under roll 17 of the looper, between rolls 7 8, through reel I-l, underthe impression-cylinder, where it receives the second impression on theopposite side from the first, thence up through reel H, between rolls 56, under roll 18 of the looper, and up between feed and delivery rolls 34, making twice that the web has passed over the same course, but atopposite sides of the press. Thence, in its perfected state, the webpasses over angle-roller 13 and out of the press between rolls 15 16,when the web is separated into sheets by any ordinary or improved means.Return now to the manipulation of the web by the oscillating looper K Kand the rotary reels H H, in order to understand 110w the necessaryresults are attained. In this case the oscillating looper K K isemployed and so controlled as to exactly take up the web as fed, bymeans of the descending roll 17, and at the same time releasing, by theother roll, 18, the web as it is taken up by the delivery-rolls, the webremaining stationary between rolls 5 6 and 7 8 during this operation,which is during the printing stroke in either direction. A positivemovement of the looper may not be required during this operation, as. byhaving the rolls 5 6 and 7 8 remain stationary, as they may be requiredto do by ratchet or other positive means, the pull of the web at thepoint of roll 18 will cause roll 17 to be lowered at exactly the samespeed, which will accomplish the required result of taking up the feedand releasing the delivery while the web remains stationary at thepoints described. Between each and every impression stroke the looper KK is caused to reverse its position and draw the web forward therequired distance over the impression-surface of theimpression-cylinder, which distance in this case is the length of onepage as the web is afterward cut up. This is effected by means of thecam 3, located on the rear side of the press on shaft F inside thecrankwheel, lever 25, truck a, upright connectingrod Q] r, crank w, withslot and adjustable pin on shaft K. The purpose of the two webreels H Hin this case is to cause the web to move backward and forward at thepoint of impression in exact unison with the oscillat ing movements ofthe impression-cylinder, allowing the web to be printed at each movementof the bed back and forth, at the same time allowing the web to be drawnfreely through the reels, as required, by the oscillating looper K K.The means of operation of these web-reels has been herein described,although I do not confine myself to this method, nor do I con finemyself to the method described for operating the oscillating looper K K,as various other means of operation can be employed. Furthermore, I donot confine myself to the employment of the oscillating looper, asdescribed, as two sets of reels may be used instead with the same orother desired results. It will be seen that the operation of two reelscoupled together in substantially the manner described, with the webrunning through them in the manner described, causes the web, whilestationary, both before and after having passed through the reels, tohave a forward and backward movement between the reels themselves,according as the reels are oscillated, wherever they may be placed on apress.

Having described the operation of perfect ing a four-page paper or itsequivalent, I will now describe how an eight-page paper or itsequivalent may be printed upon the same press, supposing the forms to bethe same size, occupying the full capacity of the bed for each sideprinted. The forms are arranged as before, and a full-width roll ofpaper is used, from which the web runs in the same course as beforedescribed, except that the web this time occupies the full width of thepress, passes only once through the press at each operation, and isprinted only on one side at each operation, though the impression strokeis given at each movement of the bed back and forth the same as before.On its return through the delivery-rolls 3 4 the web passes straightback over roll 11 and is rewound on roller P, which, in order to securea winding speed equivalent to the unwinding of the main supply-roll,rests upon that roll, although I do not confine myself to this method ofrewinding. Thus I have described the method of printing the first sideof the web. After the forms have been changed and new ones substitutedand the roll of paper previously printed 011 one side substituted andplaced in position of the main supply-roll, the web is run through thepress again the same as before until it has passed between thedelivery-rolls 4, the opposite surface of the web from the first beingpresented this time, of course. After having passed the delivery-rolls 3at the full-width web is slit longitudinally through the center byordinary means and separated into two sections, the rear section passingover angleroll 12 and the front section over angle-roll 13, roll 14 notbeing employed this time, whereby the two sections are brought togetherin a double web, which may be pasted, if desired, whence the web passesout of the press between rolls 15 and 16 and is severed, as beforedescribed. A six-page paper or its equivalent is printed in the samemanner as last described, three pages being run each time and a web ofpaper three-quarters width being employed, running, say, on the rearside of the press, when the longitudinal slit would come in the sameplace as before, and a narrow strip, the width of one page, running overthe front angle-1 01113, would be laid and pasted, if preferable, overthe left side of the lower full-width strip, and when the web isafterward cut crosswise would give a six-page paper.

In the construction of a press embodying the principles herein describedI do not confine myself to the particular kind of operating mechanismherein described in connection with type-bed and cylinder, as theweboperating mechanism may be applied to any kind of flat-bed cylinderor platen press, and is particularly applicable to the stationarybed andtraveling-cylinder type of press, an example of which type is shown inmy said application. Furthermore, I do not confine myself to theparticular kind of feed and delivery arrangement herein shown anddescribed, nor to the particular location of the web-conducting rolls orbars, as the arrange ment of rolls or bars is susceptible to manymodifications and changes without affecting the results to be obtainedby the employment of the main ideas in connection with the manipulationof a web of paper for the purposes specified. Furthermore, in theconstruction of web-controlling reels I do not confine myself to theparticular construction described herein, as the invention is intendedto cover any kind of construction of reels employed for the purposesspecified herein. Furthermore, I do not confine myself to the employmentof rolls in any part of the web mechanism described, as my idea embodiesthe situation of straight or angle bars in fixed or adjustable positionsin place of rollers,

scarce '5 wherever deemed preferable, whether in the reels, the looperreferred to, or in other parts of the press. Furthermore, I do notconfine myself to any particular direction in which the web is runthrough the press, as it is evident that the web can be run inonedirection as well as another with the same results. Furthermore, I donot confine the application of the web mechanism herein described topresses printing both ways after the manner described, as it is evidentthat the web mechanism is equally well adapted to presses printing onlyone way.

I claim- 1. In combination in a printing-press, the printing means, andtwo rotary web-conducting reels, one located at each side of the saidprinting means, to control the web, paperfeed mechanism, and means forrotating the reels in unison with the stroke of the printing means,substantially as described.

2. In combination in a printing-press, the printing means and two rotaryweb-conducting reels, coupled or geared together, for controlling theweb at the printing means, paperfeed mechanism and means for rotatingthe reels in unison with the stroke of the press, substantially asdescribed.

3. In combination with the impression means, the paper-feeding means,the web reels composed of the cross bars or rolls arranged at equaldistances from a common axis, and the convex sheath with the ribbedsurface, carried by the reel, the ribs of which extend transversely ofthe web.

4. In combination with the impression means, the paper-feeding device,the two web-reels, the drums on the axis thereof and the beltsconnecting the drums, substantially as described.

5. In combination with the impression means, the paper-feeding device,the two web-reels, the drums on the axis thereof, the

i strap connecting the drums, to make the reels operate in unison, andthe strap connected with the drums for operating the reels,substantially as described.

6. In combination, in a flatbed printingmachine, the impression means,continuously-moving web-feed means, delivery devices, means forreciprocating the web past the impression-line, and the take-up means,comprising the oscillating looper having the cross-bars at opposite endsconnected together, and the intermediate axis upon which the looperoscillates, said oscillations operating the cross-bars reversely,substantially as described.

7. In combination, the impression means, continuously-moving web-feeding means, web-delivery means, the two web-conducting reels, andthe take-up device for each reel, operating alternately, substantiallyas described.

8. In combination, in a printing'press, the printing means, web-deliverymeans, the relatively-fixed guide rolls for the paper on each side ofthe printing means, the two reels between the said rolls and printingmeans for reciprocating the paper past the printingpoint, and thevertically-movable looper rolls or bars operating on the opposite sidesof the fixed rolls from that of the reels, substantially as described.

9. In combination in a printing-press, the printing mechanism, the feedand delivery rolls 2, 3, 4, with operating means, the anglerolls 12, 14,for transferring the web and. reversing the same, and the guide-roll forthe entering web and the guide-roll for the web after leaving the rolls2, 3, 4:, the said feed and delivery rolls extending across the path ofthe two parallel parts of the web, and the reversing rolls beingsubstantially in the same plane with the feed and delivery rolls,substantially as described.

10. In combination in a printing-press, the printing means, the reels HH", the double looper K, K, the pairs of rolls 5, 6, and 7, 8, acting onthe web between the looper and reels, and the guide-rolls 9 and 10,substantially as described.

11. In combination in a printing-press, the printing means, the feedmechanism for the web and the controlling mechanism therefor, comprisingthe longitudinally-adjustable cone, the connection therefrom to thefeeding mechanism, the power-transmitting shaft h, the wheel arranged tobear on difierent parts of the cone, the support therefor swinging onthe transmittingshaft, means for ad justing said support and gearconnection between said wheel and said shaft, substantially asdescribed.

12. In combination in a printing-press, the printing means, the feedmechanism for the web and the controlling mechanism therefor, comprisingthe longitudinally-adjustable cone, the connection therefrom to thefeeding mechanism, the two wheels arranged to bear on opposite sides ofthe cone, the two levers carrying the wheels and pivoted together, meansfor adjusting the levers toward and from each other, and means fordriving the said wheels, substantially as described.

13. In combination, the printing means, the feed mechanism for the weband the controlling mechanism therefor, comprisingthelongitudinally-adjustable cone connected to the feed mechanism, thewheels on each side of the cone, the two levers, the driving-shaft onwhich said levers are pivoted, means for adjusting the levers anddriving means for the wheels, comprising the gear on the drivingshaftand the gears meshing therewith and connected with the said wheels,substantially as described.

14. In combination, the impression-cylinder, the paper reversing andtransferring rollers, arranged to reverse the web and transfer it fromone side of the press to the other, and the feeding-rolls extendingacross both portions of the web lying side by side and feeding the paperin opposite directions to and ICC from the cylinder and to and from thereversin g and transferring rollers, said feedin g-ro1l ers beingarranged between the cylinder and the transferring-rollers,substantially as described.

15. In combination, the i1npressio11cylinder, the bed, the twoweb-reels, one on each side of said cylinder, the two looper-rollers,one on each side of the pair of reels, the frame 10 carrying the same,pivoted centrally over the axis of the cylinder and between the reels,and web feeding and delivery mechanism, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDGAR IIARLAN XVILCOMB.

Witnesses WM. W. OORMAOK, ALEXANDER 0. W001).

